The
wreath has a long history and many religious associations dating back to
the ancient cultures of the Persian Empire. Originally, the circlet was
called a "diadem" and took the form of fabric headbands which
were sometimes adorned with jewels. Beginning in 776 B.C., wreaths made
of laurel leaves were used to crown victors of Olympic Games. Later,
when the Games began to move to different cities, each host city would
award head garlands made of branches of local trees.
Exactly when the transition from head ornament
to wall decoration occurred is unclear. It is likely that celebration
attendees simply hung the leafy headbands on their walls as souvenirs.
Today, beautifully decorated wreaths are not only an integral part of
the December holidays, but they're popular throughout the year,
decorated to fit each season.
Perhaps the loveliest use of this symbol is the
Advent wreath. Although its true origin is not know, some believe it was
inspired by the Swedish Crown of Lights, a candle-bearing crown worn by
young Swedish girls on St. Lucia's Day. St. Lucia was a young Christian
martyr who gave her entire dowry to the poor

The
making of wreaths is an ancient and honored art that began about a
thousand years before the birth of Christ. The Christmas Wreath
symbolizes the strength of life overcoming the forces of winter.
In ancient Rome, people used decorative wreaths as a sign of victory and
celebration. the custom of hanging a wreath on the front door of
your home probably came from this practice. At Christmas, the
wreath is symbolic of Christian immortality. the circle and the
sphere are symbols of immortality. The use of evergreens and
wreaths as symbols of life was also an ancient custom of the Egyptians,
Chinese, and Hebrews among other people.

The use of evergreens for Christmas wreaths and other decorations
probably arose in northern Europe, Italy and Spain in the early 19th
century. The traditional colors of Christmas are green and red.
Green represents the continuance of life through the winter and the
Christian belief in eternal life through Christ. Red symbolizes
the blood that Jesus shed at his crucifixion. but for most of the
20th century, the word "wreath" conjured up visions of rings
of evergreens with red ribbons hung on doors at Christmas. The
traditional Christmas wreath is hung anytime from right after
Thanksgiving to mid-December and left hanging through the winter months.

Did
you Know

In
the early days in Europe, people would put wreaths on their doors to
identify their home in the same manner that house numbers are used
today. Each house would
have a different wreath made of quite exotic flowers, most likely grown
by the home owner right on their own land. Today, wreaths are a common
custom in New England, with a different wreath for each season.